A Chance Encounter [Open Invitation]

[PecanPraline]

"Sure when he makes a joke it's just fine..." Gilded mumbled under his breath. The nurses finally let go of Eagle, although one of them kept a close eye on him. He ripped the bandage from his muzzle and looked toward the Princess eagerly. 

"Really? So they'll be able to stick around? What about their past crimes? Will they be pardoned?" He then seemed to remember who he was talking to and bowed his head apologetically. "Er, I mean... Thank you for your faith in myself and Gilded Helm. And for your forgiveness for our shortcomings."

[NamelessTrax]

Luna chuckled, "Be still Mr. Heart, you two have more than atoned for your mistakes, as Trax and Sun will atone for their crimes." As she spoke, a nurse rushed in with a syringe, and carefully placed into a vein on Trax's front right leg. Trax's eyes began to close as he started to doze off, Luna used her magic to shape his pillow and pull his blanket over him, "He will need rest after this, as will all of you. I am a little sleepy myself, considering it is my bedtime, Good Day to all." She dipped her head, straining to hide a big yawn, before she teleported away. Stryker scratched his neck, "In the meantime, you two have the next few days off. Lucky for you, Princess Celestia and I swore in a few more Royal Guards, no more double shifts. So long as everypony takes care of themselves." He explained to them.

[PecanPraline]

"Thank you, sir. And thank you, Princess," the two guard ponies said genuinely, both bowing their heads to their superiors. With that, Eagle Heart finally allowed his head to fall back onto the pillow, and he was asleep almost instantly. Nopony could blame him, after all that had happened.

Gilded took his leave, heading home to see his wife and fillies. When he got there, he asked Heart Breaker to stay for just a little longer before he went to his own bed and collapsed on it. Silver Lining was doing much better, as was their baby. He smiled, then held Silver close before falling asleep. When they woke up the next day, all five of them went to check up on Eagle Heart and Trax. Eagle was sitting up when they got there, and waved to them happily.

"Good morning!"

[NamelessTrax]

Trax was also sitting up, hastily putting away a silver flask when the family came in, dipping his head in greeting. Sun sat in a chair between Eagle and Trax's beds, "Well good morning my little sunshines, aren't we looking adorable today!" She greeted cheerfully. Sun had recovered well overnight, her wound bandaged over, and back in a good state of mind. Trax had healed for the most part, but still showed some signs of exhaustion, however this did not keep him from his regular strong cider. His mood was a little quiet and drawnback, as if his mind was elsewhere at the moment.

[PecanPraline]

The two little Pegasi instantly flew over to Eagle's bed, with Cloud Chaser hopping around in an excited little circle before addressing the unicorn.

"Are you Auntie Sun?" she asked brightly, her tiny wings giving a little flap. Behind her, her silent sister was nuzzling Eagle's injured wing, and looking at him in concern. He smiled warmly back and kissed her head.

"I'll be fine, Stormy," he said softly.

Silver Lining walked right up to Trax, with baby Pastel Rose balanced on her back. "Good morning," she said to him in a cool voice, her expression relaxed and open. She dipped her head to make sure Pastel was secure, then she spoke up again. "I wanted to thank you for saving my husband's life. If not for you, he would have been the one who was poisoned."

[NamelessTrax]

Sun starred at Cloud for moment,"You are the most innocent thing in this world and I will protect you at all cost!" She spoke with a dead serious tone, obviously trying to hold back an overwhelming feeling of adoration and excitement. Trax rolled his eyes at his sister before looking at Silver Lining, "The arrow was meant for me anyway, figured I would spare us an awkward situation. In return, he saved mine, and my Sisters. I can't thank him enough, and Eagle. It was because of their compassion and bravery that I am still breathing, and that show a lot about their character. You did right in choosing him, can't imagine a better Father than Gilded." He replied smoothly, but his voice still had a rugged croak to it, a sign he was still recovering. Trax glanced at Gilded and gave him a wink of approval, "You did good." He said with a nodding gesture at Silver.

[PecanPraline]

Cloud gave a wide grin and leapt over to sit in Sun's lap. She was clearly very pleased, even if she didn't really understand what Sun had said. Stormy Night stayed curled up at her uncle's flank, shyly hiding half of her face behind her mane. But she was looking at the unicorn curiously.

Silver's smile grew wider, and she nodded. "I know. Nothing but the best for me in a husband. And I lucked out in it being my brother's best friend too."

Gilded blushed with a dopey grin on his face, which Silver then gently kissed before she lifted her little green baby from her back and placing her gently on Trax's bed. "This is Pastel Rose. The little sky blue pegasus is Cloud Chaser, and the white one that's hiding is Stormy Night. They wanted to meet their 'Auntie and Uncle that saved Daddy'." Pastel gave a happy gurgle, flopping onto her side and grinning up at Trax.

[NamelessTrax]

Sun hugged Cloud gently, "Well I for one can get used to Auntie Sun, oh this is all just absolute bliss for me." She said happily, a few tears started to form in her eyes as she closed them to enjoy the moment. Trax looked into Pastel's eyes, he swallowed nervously before looking away, "It will take some getting used to, it's been just Sun and I for as long as I can remember, but the gesture is greatly appreciated." He croaked. Captain Stryker walked in, carrying two badges and a folder with his magic, he paused as he saw the family. "I see I've come at a personal time, so I'll make this quick." He put the folder on the nightstand next to Trax's bed, setting the two badges on top of it, "Nameless Trax, and Sun Flare, as per the Princesses request you two will be sworn in as Rangers. As a Ranger, you are charged with keeping the peace, upholding the laws of Equestria, and serving the Princesses. You will be based here in Canterlot, out of the Castle, with your own office. The folder has the rest of the information." He turned and headed back out, the scene in the infirmary was to much happiness for his taste.

[PecanPraline]

Eagle watched him go, holding Stormy under his good wing as he sat up on the bed. Once the Captain was out of ear shot, he leaned over to Sun and whispered "You know, Silver is my sister. You could legally become 'Auntie Sun'." He was grinning as he said it, though he was blushing too. He knew he wasn't the best at flirting, but with Sun Flare's new position and everything else, he figured he would be remiss if he didn't at least try.

Patel was still playing on the bed, her tiny blue eyes no longer on Trax's face but instead on his wings. The baby earth pony seemed fascinated by them, and was trying to sneak closer, not realizing how close she was to the edge of the bed.

[NamelessTrax]

Sun smirked as she put a hoof under his chin, "Oh your cute Luv, but you still gotta work for it, keep tryin." She told him silverly. Trax picked up one of the badges, simultaneously stretching out his wing and scooping up Pastel, "Careful little one." He told her as he examined the badge, "Ranger huh? Sounds over glorified, but I'm guessing it was this or the dungeon." He said sarcastically.

[PecanPraline]

Eagle smirked, but his blush deepened. "Well, what about a kiss? I seem to recall somepony saying it helped ease pain..." He was just teasing now, and it was audible in his tone. But he also wouldn't deny another kiss from the mare. But little Stormy looked up at him and stood on her back legs to kiss her uncle on the chin, then sat back down with a tiny smile. Eagle Heart laughed and leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you, little wing." Her smile grew even wider and she shook with a silent laugh.

Pastel gave a giggle and a "Whee!" as she was scooted away from the edge, her mother looking relieved. Gilded glanced at her, then looked back to Trax. "At least it's a job, right? And nearby is an entire family of ponies who are happy to help you out. Silver and I already talked it over, and we have a spare room if you would rather not stay in the barracks."

 

[NamelessTrax]

Sun smiled slyly, "Guess you got your kiss, well done."

Trax sighed and waved off the gesture, "The offer is more than appreciated, but for now we should take baby steps, till we can get better aquatinted with our new lifestyle. Besides, we already have a case to work on." Sun turned to him curiously, "We do?" Trax tossed his Sister her badge and picked up the folder, the title was labeled "The Komodo". "Captain Stryker spoke with me about a Professional Assassin, who uses poisoned tipped arrows, the arrows actually being Bolts for a crossbow. Same Assassin who tried to make Sun and I his next victims, unfortunately for him, we made some good friends in the nick of time. As soon as I am able, I'm heading out to arrest him." He said sternly. Sun caught a hint of something else in his tone, but acted as if she didn't notice it, she would confront him later on that matter. 

[PecanPraline]

Eagle tried not to look disappointed, then a flash of inspiration crossed his face. He leaned down to Stormy and whispered in her ear. The little filly gave a nod, then picked herself up from his lap, flew over to Sun Flare, and gave her a tiny kiss on the cheek. She then returned to Eagle's lap, her tiny blushing face hiding in her mane. He hugged his niece close, whispering how good she was and that he was proud. Then he turned his attention to Trax.

"Already, huh? I'm sure you want revenge, but don't let that cloud your judgement." His tone was serious as he looked to the other. Gilded nodded in agreement, not wanting to talk to directly about it in front of daughters. Silver was also looking at the fillies with a slight frown, trying to see if they understood what was being said. Their expressions were blank, aside from a slight curiosity in both of the twins' eyes. Gilded and Silver exchanged looks, and she shook her head at him.

"Alright girls, the grown-ups have to talk now," Gilded said, to which Cloud said "awwww..." and she and her sister both flew over to the parents. The stallion picked up his baby, who waved a hoof in goodbye to Trax, and the five of them left Eagle and the siblings alone in the room.

[NamelessTrax]

Sun waved to the family before turning to Trax, "As much as I want to put this Assassin in a jail cell, now that we can, don't you think it's a little early for such a high profile case?" Trax shook his head, "Revenge is only a small part of it, I am focused on putting him away, as per our new Job."

[PecanPraline]

Eagle reached out a hoof and pat her shoulder, his expression grim. "You wouldn't want to wait until he comes after you both again, do you? Or maybe me, or worse, Gilded? The assassin has seen us, and will surely know how to find us. Gilded has a family, after all." He let his hoof drop with a sigh. "Normally, I would agree with you Sun Flare. But this pony has already proven to be a danger once, and needs to be stopped. If you want, I can come as extra support. Captain permitting..."

[NamelessTrax]

Trax nodded his thanks, he opened the file and showed them a photo of a coffee shop in Manehatten, "The help will be appreciated, but I had some thought go into this whole thing, and I've discovered a few things about our would-be Assassin." 

 

One week later...

 

An earth pony waiter set down a cup of coffee for a dark brown unicorn, then headed back inside the small but popular coffee shop in central Manehatten. The Unicorn stallion remarked the smell of his coffee before taking a sip and setting down, using his magic to simultaneously read the news paper spread out in front of him. His ears flickered back and forth, straightening up he set down the news paper, revealing Nameless Trax sitting across from him with an even stare. Before he could speak his obvious surprise at him being alive, Trax held up a hoof to speak first, "Drop Shot, 41 years of age, former Army Captain turned Assassin. With 57 confirmed kills during your three tours to Saddle Arabia, and another 35 as an Gun for hire, my how the Victorious have fallen." Drop narrowed his venomous green eyes at him and opened his mouth to speak but Trax continued, "I'm guessing somepony hired you to take me out, probably because I really got under their skin. You planned accordingly when you noticed the two Royal Guards chasing us too, at first you were only after me, but you decided to involve my sister. The bolt you hit my sister with had a higher dose of poison, making sure any antidote would be used on her instead. I have to say, I very much admire your planning." Trax's tone remained calm and steady throughout his explanation, his cold steel blue eyes never leaving Drop Shots cold becoming stare. Trax placed his badge on the table, "The new Position was only announced yesterday, but I'm sure that News Paper has a story in it. I'll give you a moment to read it. Also, before you get any ideas, I have three colleagues around us that would be more than happy to give you good punch in the face." Drop glanced around suspiciously as he picked up the paper again to read the front page, which he had casually dismissed at first. Close by, Sun Flare watched from her post, disguised as a florist for a flower kiosk.

[PecanPraline]

Eagle Heart was standing beneath a tree containing a bee hive, the bee suit hiding his odd coat pattern which would surely have given him away. He kept ushering other ponies away, but his eyes were on the table at the cafe.

Gilded, meanwhile, was disguised as an old mare sitting on a bench and feeding the pigeons, and sitting underneath a blanket. His mane was stuck up into a bonnet, and a wig was peeking out from under the brim.

[NamelessTrax]

Drop read through the article, then set it down with an annoyed sigh, "From Thieves to Rangers, My, how the Fallen have risen." Trax let him have the moment, admitting it was a good turn of phrase, "Indeed. Now, since I have the authority and the edivence to put you away, how about we do this nice and easy. You see it's my first arrest, and I'd kinda like it to be pretty easygoing, you follow?" Trax's even and calm tone was beginning to aggravate Drop, but he was smart enough to admit the Former thief had gotten the drop on him, "Well done, Ranger Trax, I see I have no other option." Trax smirked and stood up from his chair, the signal to the others, "By and by, you can drop the dinner knife you swiped when you reached for the paper the second time, things could get messy." He said jokingly as he lifted his wing, revealing an arsenal of throwing knives and a large saxe knife. There was a dinging sound as the knife was dropped from Drops hoof, along with a sigh of defeat. Ponies stopped their daily activities to watch as Trax lead Drop away from the coffee shop, Sun fell in stride on the opposite side, "First arrest huh? I think I could get used to this."

[PecanPraline]

"Glad it went so smoothly," Gilded said, shaking off the bonnet and handing it off to an actual elderly pony to wear. He then fell in just behind the assassin, looking pleased. Eagle took a little longer to catch up, having to actually finish shooing ponies away from the hive before an actual beekeeper showed up. He ran up behind them all with the hat off, looking pleased.

"And nopony was stung!" He beamed, but he made sure the knife tucked under his wing was in plain view. "Thanks for coming along with us so easily, Mister Drop."

[NamelessTrax]

Drop scoffed trying to show some dignity, "I made a few miscalculations, and seeing as how I am outmatched, I made a tactical decision." He told them simply. Trax loaded Drop into the prison carriage, "You know this won't be the last time you see me." The Assassin said, still keeping his chin up high. Trax smiled as he locked the cell door, "Oh I know." With that the carriage pulled away, leaving the four to revel in their victory. Sun threw a hoof around Eagle, "Gentlecolts, I for one could go for a celebration, Bonfire at Gildeds House! Whoo!" She cried enthusiastically. 

[PecanPraline]

"Don't volunteer my house without even asking me," Gilded said, ruffling her mane with a grin.

"Oh come on Gilded, you're the only one here that actually has a house. Besides, the girls will be happy to see their aunt and uncles," Eagle laughed, leaning into Sun's touch. He threw his good wing around Gilded's shoulders and gently pulled him closer. Gilded rolled his eyes and pushed him off, still grinning.

"Fine, fine, you've convinced me. But if you want to have a fire, you better help watch the fillies. Pastel is trying to figure out how to walk, and she'll definitely fall into the pit if we don't keep an eye on her. And pick up some food."

[NamelessTrax]

Sun nudged Trax playfully, "Pastel has taken a liking to Traxy so he can help with that, Eagle and I will pick up some grub on the way there. Seeya!" She lit up her horn and teleported away with Eagle before Trax could retaliate, leaving him opened mouthed and stunned. "Eagle is just gonna carry her and fly back to Canterlot, those currents up there will make good for gliding the whole way. However, you are heavier than Sun, so it looks like we'll be taking the train back." He sighed reluctantly.

[PecanPraline]

Gilded nodded. "That's fine, I can pay for the tickets. It will give us some time to relax anyway before we go about having a party." He gave a good-natured smile, then turned to start walking for the train. "So Trax," he began, "What are you willing to share about yourself? I know you don't like talking much about your personal business, so I won't pry. But I can see that Eagle is getting more and more enamored with your sister, and she isn't wrong about Pastel either. If things continue as they are, I'd like to get to know a little better than I do, you know?" He fell silent after that, allowing Trax to either speak or not, which ever he preferred.

 

Meanwhile, Eagle disappeared and reappeared with a gasp of shock, completely taken by surprise at the sudden teleportation. He glanced over at Sun and then gave her a slight smirk. "You almost jumped me out of my feathers there, love. Little warning next time, please?" He then dusted himself off and looked around to see where she had taken them.

[NamelessTrax]

Trax walked alongside him, giving a slight stiffled frown to his question, it was a good one and something he just couldn't ignore given the circumstances of their relationship and possible relationship if Sun and Eagle progressed further. He knew his sisters feeling well, and had also taken into account that somehow he would end up exposing something about himself. In the past week, working with Gilded had made him see something, a pony he could be Friends with, even something as a brother even. Trax exhaled as he realized he was holding his breath in thought, "To be honest, there are things even Sun doesn't know, things I believe could change the way she looks at me. Two grisly tours to Saddle Arabia and another to some strange land I can't even remember, I've been through some pretty tight spaces, and I've lost some good ponies along the way. I turn 30 in less than a month, but I feel even older than Captain Stryker sometimes. Thanks to Drops poisoned arrow, I got a glimpse of my life so far, and Sun being next to me through it all was the only light I ever had. It's the parts where she wasn't there, those are the chapters where I fell, and really saw the darkness in me. I won't lie to you Gilded, I've committed worse Sins than just stealing." He took out his flask and took a gulp before shoving back into his coat pocket, "Speaking from a different perspective, I probably should have somepony I can talk to about it. The question is, can You survive if I give an answer you may not like?"

 

Sun kissed his cheek, the wind blowing her hair as they stood atop a slyscraper, she teleported them several times in a row to get here. "Sorry deary, next time. Now, carry me home, to Canterlot! We have groceries to shop for!" She trotted over to ledge, almost slipping off, but she kept a steady balance.

[PecanPraline]

Gilded paused as he considered what Trax had just said, considering even further the question posed between them. He tapped a hoof against his mouth with a soft "hm..." as he thought. Finally, he turned his head to look at Trax properly. "You know... The past is over and done with. It may have helped lead to who you are now, but that doesn't mean it is who you are. And at the end of the day... We all have something we've done that we see as dark. And while I'm not saying that anything I've seen or done could be as bad as yours, but I am saying that I understand, and I won't think less of you for it. Especially not when their memories seem to be weighing on you like this. That shows me that you didn't like it, and you're not likely to do it again willingly.

"So yes," he said, his serious expression turning into an encouraging smile, "If you are willing to give me your trust, then I think I can handle it. After all, I could do with another friend, and I don't mind it being you."

 

Eagle sucked in a breath and hurried over to Sun Flare's side, holding out a hoof to help her keep steady. "Please be more careful," he said with a sigh. He then knelt down so that she could more easily climb on his back. Once she was on, he took off with a leap, his wings held out wide as he caught the warm updraft and began gliding across the sky. They had been in the air for a few minutes when Eagle finally spoke up again.

"You know... I still don't know much about you, not even little things. Aside from how much you flirt, anyway." He was clearly teasing her, but he was also genuinely curious. He lost his updraft and flapped a few times to keep them up as high as they were before continuing. "I'll be honest Sun, I like you a lot. I enjoy spending time with you too. But I can't help but wish that I knew more, y'know, so that we could be a little closer."